Evaluation of subjective symptoms of Japanese patients with multiple chemical sensitivity using QEESI©

Abstract

Objectives The Quick Environment Exposure Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI Ó ) has been used as a questionnaire to evaluate subjective symptoms of patients with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), also known as idiopathic environmental intolerance, in Japan. However, no cutoff value for Japanese subjects has yet been established. We designed this study to establish a cutoff value for Japanese subjects using QEESI Ó for screening of MCS patients. Methods A questionnaire using the QEESI Ó was administered to 103 MCS patients and 309 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. QEESI Ó scores of the two groups were compared using logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis, and the Mann-Whitney test.

Evaluation of Genetic Polymorphisms in Patients with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

“…Hojo et al designed a study to establish the cut-off value for Japanese using the QEESI for screening MCS patients [24]. The cut-off values for Japanese subjects were determined to be ≥40 for the chemical sensitivity subscale, ≥20 for the symptom severity subscale, and ≥10 for the life impact subscale.…”

Development and evaluation of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity questionnaire for Japanese people

“…In the past, we [Hojo, 2002; Hojo et al, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008a, 2008b, 2009; Hojo and Tokiya, 2012] conducted several investigations in order to elucidate the actual status of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and sick building syndrome or sick house syndrome (SHS) patients in Japan using the quick environmental exposure and sensitivity inventory (QEESI) developed by Miller and Prihoda [1999]. Our findings revealed that a number of MCS/SHS patients complained of hypersensitive reactions to various EMF sources.…”

Factors in genetic susceptibility in a chemical sensitive population using QEESI

“…When Hojo et al [17] confirmed that the QEESI is effective for screening Japanese MCS patients, they suggested that the cutoff values for Japanese subjects should be chemical sensitivity score C40 and symptom severity score C20. In our study population, 4.3% (n = 47) of the subjects met that criteria and were defined as the cases (Table 2).…”

“…Hojo et al [17] designed a study to establish a new cutoff value for Japanese using the QEESI for screening of MCS patients. According to that study, one difference from patients in America was that in Japanese patients the other chemical sensitivity subscale had low sensitivity and low specificity.…”